MEMS with small-molecule barricade

ABSTRACT

A MEMS element within a semiconductor device is enclosed within a cavity bounded at least in part by hydrogen-permeable material. A hydrogen barrier is formed within the semiconductor device to block propagation of hydrogen into the cavity via the hydrogen-permeable material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application hereby claims priority to and incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/453,993 filed Feb. 2, 2017 (“MEMS Cavity with Gas-Resistant Seal”).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure herein relates to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

INTRODUCTION

MEMS structures are typically sealed in a low-pressure or controlled-pressure enclosure to ensure consistent operation over time and temperature. Because conventional sealant materials (e.g., silicon dioxide and silicon) are permeable to small gas molecules such as hydrogen and helium, however, such molecules can propagate through the sealant materials into the enclosure, changing the internal pressure and thereby degrading MEMS device operation or stability. Materials such as single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon, though generally more resistant to hydrogen/helium intrusion, can still become significantly permeable at sufficiently elevated temperatures, leading to operational degradation or failure in MEMS devices subject to hydrogen/helium environments.

DRAWINGS

The various embodiments disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 contrasts a MEMS embodiment having hydrogen (i.e., small-molecule) barrier structures with a counterpart implementation that lacks hydrogen-barrier structures;

FIG. 2 illustrates a barricaded MEMS embodiment having a hydrogen-impermeable gettering layer disposed in the metal layer stack to absorb residual hydrogen following barrier layer deposition and small-molecule bake-out, the latter being an optional process step discussed below;

FIG. 3 illustrates a barricaded MEMS embodiment having a hydrogen-impermeable gettering layer disposed in the metal layer stack to absorb residual hydrogen following barrier layer deposition and small-molecule bake-out;

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative barricaded MEMS embodiment in which the hydrogen barrier layer is deposited or otherwise formed on the silicon capping layer prior to surface oxide deposition;

FIG. 5 illustrates a barricaded MEMS embodiment having hydrogen barrier structures strategically disposed in the middle and buried oxide layers, obviating surface-level barrier deposition;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative strategic-barrier MEMS embodiment in which the buried oxide ring is centered in proximity to the MEMS cavity;

FIG. 7 illustrates hydrogen-resistant MEMS embodiment that lacks both the surface-level barrier layer shown in FIGS. 1-4 and the MEMS-cavity barrier ring shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary process flow that may be used to implement barrier structures within the barrier-last and barrier-first embodiments of FIGS. 1-4; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary fabrication process for the embedded-barrier embodiment of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In various embodiments disclosed herein, MEMS structures are barricaded (sealed, encased or otherwise enclosed) within a cavity or chamber by an enclosure resistant to hydrogen, helium, or other small molecule permeation. In a number of implementations, otherwise hydrogen-permeable portions of the cavity enclosure are covered (or sealed) with a hydrogen/helium-resistant structure (i.e., layer of material and/or strategically disposed blocking element substantially impermeable to hydrogen and/or helium molecules) that significantly reduces small-molecule permeation into the enclosure and thus avoids gradual pressure change and other degradative effects that plague conventional MEMS devices. Hydrogen/helium-resistant materials used to form such coating, layer or blocking element include, for example and without limitation, dispositions of one or more metals (including alloys) such as aluminum, copper, titanium, titanium nitride, and metal silicides, and/or as dielectrics such as silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, and aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc. In some cases, semiconductor materials (silicon, germanium, etc.) are used to form constituent structures of the small-molecule barricade.

As part of device fabrication and prior to disposition of a complete hydrogen/helium barrier (i.e., membrane, layer, plug or other material disposition that will prevent or significantly limit small-molecule permeation into the MEMS cavity), residual hydrogen and/or helium within the MEMS cavity or cavity enclosure materials may be outgassed, removed or otherwise evacuated. This “small-molecule evacuation” operation avoids trapping hydrogen/helium inside the cavity or the cavity-enclosure materials (i.e., on the wrong side/interior side of the hydrogen-impermeable barrier), the latter of which may otherwise outgas into the cavity over time, resulting in the aforementioned degradative pressure change. In a number of fabrication processes, residual hydrogen/helium (or other small molecules) is outgassed or otherwise evacuated by raising the MEMS device to an elevated temperature prior to barrier material deposition—for example, heating to any practicable temperature between 100° Celsius (C) and 1150° C. (and in some embodiments between 300° C. and 600° C.) though elevation to temperatures outside that range may be effected.

The deposition processes for some barrier materials (e.g., silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride) produce hydrogen and can therefore undesirably introduce/embed hydrogen into the MEMS cavity or cavity enclosure materials. In a number of embodiments, this consequence is avoided or mitigated by (i) depositing or otherwise forming a first barrier layer of hydrogen-resistant material (typically but not necessarily a dielectric), (ii) forming openings in the barrier material so as to selectively expose hydrogen permeable materials within the MEMS device stack and/or portions of the cavity enclosure, (iii) outgassing the device at an elevated temperature (e.g., a temperature within either of the elevated ranges mentioned above) to remove residual hydrogen produced by the first barrier layer deposition and/or earlier process steps, and then (iv) depositing a second barrier layer of hydrogen resistant material that can be deposited in a relatively hydrogen-free process (typically a metal deposited by sputtering or evaporation). A gettering material may be included in the second barrier layer stack (or may completely comprise the second barrier layer) to adsorb or chemically react with residual hydrogen or other unwanted species. Also, in a number of embodiments, grooves, channels, slots or other structures are formed in the first barrier layer to increase the surface area of the getter material and thereby improve adsorbtion and/or any desired chemical reaction. For MEMS cavities where a portion of the side enclosure is formed from silicon dioxide, as would be the case when using SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafers, a trench filled with monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon, metal, or other hydrogen/helium resistant material may be formed through the oxide to the substrate below, blocking the oxide diffusion path.

FIG. 1 contrasts a MEMS embodiment having hydrogen (i.e., small-molecule) barrier structures—referred to herein as a barricaded MEMS—with a counterpart implementation that lacks those barrier structures. Referring first to non-barricaded implementation 100, small-molecule permeates (i.e., hydrogen and helium either of which should be understood to be representative of small-molecule permeates generally) may diffuse or otherwise propagate through various oxide paths and/or voids into otherwise hermetically sealed chamber 101 (i.e., cavity in which MEMS element is disposed). More specifically, hydrogen/helium incursion paths exist within surface oxide 103 as well as middle oxide 105 and buried (bottom) oxide 107 (such oxide layers implemented, for example, by silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon oxynitride (Si₂N₂O) and/or other hydrogen-permeable dielectric). Incursion through contact-isolation trench 109 is particularly problematic as small-molecules need only diffuse through a relatively thin surface oxide, pass freely through keyholes (voids) 111, and then diffuse directly into chamber 101 through relatively short segments of middle oxide 105. Accordingly, when subjected to an environment containing hydrogen or helium (i.e., small molecules), those molecules/atoms propagate into the MEMS cavity, undesirably changing the chamber pressure and thus degrading MEMS operation/stability (e.g., changing resonance frequency of MEMS resonator) over time.

In barricaded MEMS embodiment 150, a hydrogen-barrier layer 151 (i.e., “small-molecule barrier) is formed over the surface oxide to block surface-level hydrogen incursion (shown at 1), while other barrier structures are formed in the buried, middle and surface oxide layers to block lateral hydrogen incursion channels (2, 3 and 4). In the depicted implementation, for example, a monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon chip-surround barrier 153 is formed in the middle and bottom oxide layers, while a metal barrier 155 serves dual duty in the surface oxide layer—blocking lateral diffusion through the surface oxide and also closing an optional hydrogen-release vent (opening) within hydrogen barrier layer 151. In a number of embodiments, metal barrier 155 forms a surface-level perimeter barrier that surrounds a field of electrical contacts and interconnect pads—a continuous metal ring that includes both barrier-metal cross sections 155 and 156.

In one embodiment, surface-level hydrogen barrier 151 is formed by silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) or other hydrogen-impermeable (hydrogen-resistant/hydrogen-blocking) dielectric, permitting deposition/formation of metal barrier 155 and metal contact 157 directly over the barrier layer. In other embodiments, the surface-level hydrogen barrier may be implemented by any of various metals or metal alloys or other electrically conductive materials (including doped semiconductor materials). In those cases, a layer of dielectric material may be disposed over the hydrogen barrier layer to enable contact isolation. In all embodiments, the term blocking should be understood to mean substantially impermeable to the subject small-molecule/atom—that the blocking or barrier material limits hydrogen and/or helium diffusion therethrough to a negligible rate (e.g., rate that does not appreciably impact cavity pressure and/or device stability over the intended device lifetime). Also, with respect to contact formation and relation to the MEMS element within cavity 101, metal contact 157 enables electrical conduction through an oxide-isolated via 161 (e.g., formed by a doped silicon barrel 161 within oxide-isolation trench 109) to device layer electrode 163 while other contacts not shown may be provided to establish surface level electrical contact to other electrode(s) and/or to the MEMS element itself (e.g., through conductive path(s) formed in MEMS-element anchoring/tethering structures). Accordingly, metal contact 157, oxide-isolated via/conduction barrel 161 and device-layer electrode 163 are intended as a non-limiting example of electrical contact/interconnect formation and manner of hydrogen barrier implementation with respect to that contact. More generally, such contact may be used to apply bias voltage to the MEMS element within cavity 101 (“MEMS”), to deliver a resonator actuation (“drive”) signal (e.g., to a piezoelectric component of the MEMS element in the case of a piezo-actuated resonator, or to a drive electrode disposed in proximity to the MEMS element in an electrostatically actuated resonator), to conduct an electrostatically or piezoelectrically generated resonant-motion “sense” signal (periodic electrical signal representative of mechanical motion of resonator), to conduct a thermistor current, and so forth.

Still referring to FIG. 1 and more specifically to detail view 165, barrier layer 151 may be disposed in a barrel-surround geometry to form a hydrogen-impermeable ring around the oxide region in proximity to conduction barrel 161 so that, even without chip-surround metal barrier 155/156, the hydrogen diffusion path through the surface oxide is blocked. Also, an optional passivation layer 167 may be provided to cover the hydrogen barrier layer and metal barrier 155/156, while exposing a region of metal contact 157.

FIG. 2 illustrates a barricaded MEMS embodiment having a hydrogen-impermeable gettering layer 181 disposed in the metal-layer stack to adsorb residual hydrogen following barrier layer deposition and small-molecule bake-out, the latter being an optional process step discussed below. Various materials may be used to implement the gettering layer (e.g., titanium, zirconium alloy or any other conductive material useful for adsorbing or chemically reacting with small-molecule permeates) and such layer may be included within the metal stack of any embodiments presented herein, depicted or not. Also, as shown in detail view 185, optional trenches may be etched (or otherwise formed) through the barrier layer and into surface oxide 103 to effect formation of gettering-layer grooves or depressions and thus increased gettering surface area for improved small-molecule adsorption. Though depicted as extending only partially into the surface oxide layer, such trenches or any one or more thereof may extend entirely through the oxide layer to enable formation of a barrel-surround structure as shown at 165 in FIG. 1—an approach that may enable omission of other hydrogen blocking structures within the surface oxide.

FIG. 3 presents a top-view (201) of a barricaded MEMS embodiment, including expanded top and cross-sectional views (221 and 241) of an exemplary MEMS contact structure. Referring first to top-view 201, the barricaded MEMS chip includes a perimeter metal blocking plug 203 to block lateral hydrogen diffusion through the surface oxide (i.e., a structure corresponding to metal barriers 155/156 in FIGS. 1 and 2), as well as a chip-surround barrier 205 in the buried oxide layer (e.g., to form chip-surround barriers 153 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Within the perimeter metal barrier, multiple MEMS contacts 207 (five in this example) are provided to conduct operational signals and voltages (e.g., drive, sense, bias, measurement, etc.) with respect to a resonator or other micromachined element within MEMS cavity 209. As shown, each contact is coupled to an I/O pad 211 via a conductive trace 215 (e.g., metal trace), with a single I/O pad being coupled to multiple contacts in some cases. Also, while upper left I/O pad 211 is shown electrically coupled to perimeter metal 203, that I/O pad may also be coupled to contacts or other conductive structures within the MEMS chip. Further, though depicted with four external contacts (e.g., to convey ground voltage, bias voltage, sense signal and drive signal in resonator embodiment) and five MEMS contacts 207, the subject MEMS chip may be implemented with more or fewer external contacts and/or MEMS contacts in alternative embodiments.

Referring to detail top view 221 (a view beneath any passivation layer) and corresponding cross-sectional view 241, exemplary MEMS contact 207 includes a center metal contact (“contact metal”) and an outer metal barrier-surround (“metal barrier”)—two electrically isolated metal features in the depicted embodiment, though those features may be unified as shown at 165 in FIG. 1. The oxide-isolation trench (i.e., trench surrounding through-silicon conduction barrel) is depicted in shaded outline at 225, though that feature is generally not visible from the surface view. The outer metal barrier serves to block the isolation trench from the surface dielectric layer that may contain embedded hydrogen. The break in the metal barrier ring permits trace routing to the center metal contact and may have a minimal width (i.e., opening to permit trace routing) to yield the narrowest possible (or acceptably narrow) path between the dielectric layers inside and outside the outer-metal barrier ring (which may have a square, rectangular or polygonal outline instead of the circular outline shown).

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative barricaded MEMS embodiment in which a hydrogen barrier layer 261 is deposited or otherwise formed on the lid-layer silicon prior to deposition of surface oxide 263—an embodiment referred to herein as “barrier-first” in contradistinction to the “barrier-last” embodiments of FIGS. 1-3 in which the surface-level hydrogen barrier is deposited/formed after deposition of the surface oxide. In the FIG. 4 embodiment, the hydrogen barrier descends into contact isolation trench 267, coating or lining the walls thereof optionally to be filled with oxide or other dielectric or to fill the trench completely. The contact-isolation trench may be tapered as shown at 271 to facilitate barrier material deposition/formation. Also, instead of stopping at the middle oxide, the isolation trenches may extend through the middle oxide layer to the device-layer silicon as shown at 275. Further, barrier-filled or barrier-lined trenches may be used to form the perimeter chip-surround structure as shown at 279, extending through both the middle and buried oxide layers. More generally, such barrier-lined (or barrier-filled) chip-surround structure may be implemented in any of the embodiments presented herein (e.g., in the barrier-last embodiments of FIGS. 1-3) instead of or in addition to the single-crystal silicon or polysilicon barrier discussed above (e.g., elements 153 in FIGS. 1 and 2). Also, as in the FIG. 1-2 embodiments, the metal contact may form a surface-level barrier around contact-isolation trench 267 (e.g., as shown at 283), a particularly effective solution where trench 267 is lined/filled with oxide instead of hydrogen-barrier material.

FIG. 5 illustrates a barricaded MEMS embodiment having hydrogen barrier structures strategically disposed in the middle and buried oxide layers, obviating surface-level barrier layer deposition. In the depicted implementation, hydrogen barrier rings 301 and 303 are formed in the middle oxide around the MEMS cavity and contact barrels, respectively (only one of the latter being shown), to block hydrogen propagation into the MEMS cavity through (i) the middle oxide layer itself and (ii) the electrode isolation trench 305 and buried oxide. An additional barrier ring 309 may be implemented in the buried oxide layer at the chip perimeter to block hydrogen incursion through the lateral chip exposure of that oxide layer. In the implementation shown, the middle-oxide contact-barrel barrier 303 shares a perimeter region with MEMS cavity barrier 301. In alternative embodiments, those two barriers may be non-overlapping (i.e., no shared perimeter region). Also, the buried-oxide barrier ring may alternatively be implemented by silicon as in FIGS. 1 and 2, or by a deep-trench barrier as shown at 279 in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative strategic-barrier MEMS embodiment having a buried oxide barrier-ring 321 routed in proximity to the MEMS cavity—inside the device-layer electrode-isolation trench 305 so that both the buried-oxide chip-surround barrier and the middle-oxide contact-surround barrier (i.e., elements 309 and 303 in FIG. 5) may be omitted.

FIG. 7 illustrates hydrogen-resistant MEMS embodiment that lacks both the surface-level barrier layer shown in FIGS. 1-4 and the MEMS-cavity barrier ring shown in FIG. 5 (i.e., feature 301). As shown, a chip-surround hydrogen barrier 341 is formed in the middle and buried oxide layers (e.g., a hydrogen-blocking moat implemented by silicon or metal, with the latter shown at 345), while the hydrogen diffusion path through the surface-oxide is elongated—thus slowing the hydrogen incursion rate—by extending the radius or lateral dimension of metal contact 351. While this approach may not eliminate small-molecule incursion altogether, the increased diffusion path length may slow the incursion rate sufficiently to provide stable device operation in some environments or applications. In general, the lateral extension dimension (lateral extension beyond trench) of metal contact 351 may be selected according to any one or more of multiple criteria including, for example and without limitation, dimension to yield specified small-molecule incursion rate in given environment (e.g., incursion rate sufficiently limited to meet desired stability specification over intended device lifetime) or specific linear dimension (e.g., at least 5 microns and in some cases dimensions of 10 microns, 15 microns or more).

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary process flow that may be used to implement barrier structures within the barrier-last and barrier-first embodiments of FIGS. 1-4. Starting at 401 a hydrogen barrier layer (e.g., silicon nitride or other blocking material as discussed above) is deposited on the device surface (e.g., over lid-layer silicon in barrier-first implementation at right or over oxide in barrier-last implementation at left). At 403, vents and contact openings are etched through the surface oxide (a material deposition not specifically shown in the barrier-first process flow) and barrier layer, followed by a bake-out operation at 405 (e.g., elevating the temperature of the composite wafer structure to any practicable temperature between 100° C. and 1150° C., and in some embodiments between 300° C. and 600° C.) to expel residual hydrogen through the vents and contact openings. At 407, openings in the hydrogen barrier (vents and contact openings) are plugged with metal to seal the surface incursion/diffusion path. Note that hydrogen vent formation is an optional process step that may be omitted in some cases, particularly where contact openings are distributed and sized to provide sufficient venting.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary fabrication process for the embedded-barrier embodiment of FIG. 5. Starting at 451, a bottom (to be buried) oxide layer is deposited over a silicon handle wafer and then patterned for subsequent chip-surround hydrogen-barrier deposition at 453. Device layer silicon is bonded (e.g., wafer-bonded) or grown at 455 and thereafter patterned (i.e., middle-oxide deposition followed by selective etch) at 457 in preparation for formation of trenches around resonator cavity (or cavity for other MEMS element) and contacts—an operation followed by trench-etch and oxide backfill. At 459, the middle oxide is patterned for hydrogen-barrier formation around the MEMS cavity and contact barrels, followed by barrier layer deposition at 461 (filling the patterned middle-oxide). At 463, the barrier layer is patterned (sacrificial oxide deposition and selective etch-back) and etched, leaving the barrier-surround structures. The resulting structure is patterned and etched for contact extension and field-area continuity at 465, followed by growth or wafer-bonding of lid-layer silicon at 467—in either case rendering continuity between the device-layer and lid-layer silicon through contact openings and field area. At 469, release vents are patterned and etched, followed by hydrofluoric acid (HF) release (i.e., dry vapor etch using a hydrofluoric solution or wet hydrofluoric acid) to remove sacrificial regions of the middle-oxide, buried oxide and trenches surrounding the MEMS element, thus forming the MEMS cavity and releasing the MEMS element from the surrounding field and/or contact regions of the device-layer silicon. At 471, the release vents are sealed (e.g., with epitaxial silicon) and the surface of the lid-layer silicon is patterned and then etched to form contact-isolation trenches (only one of which is shown). At 473, oxide is deposited to seal and fill (or line) contact-isolation trenches, followed by oxide patterning for metal-layer contact formation. At 475, metal layer contacts are formed (e.g., metal layer deposition followed by oxide deposition, masking and etch-back), followed by passivation deposition and selective etch-back to form contact opening.

Though not specifically in the exemplary fabrication processes of FIGS. 8 and 9, nor the various structural embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-7, lid-layer silicon may be wafer-bonded to the lower-layer structures (i.e., device-layer silicon and handle wafer) through structures that serve dual duty as wafer-bonds and electrical conductors (e.g., solder bonds, including eutectic bonds of various metals, metal alloys, silicides and so forth to interconnect electrical elements within the device-layer and lid-layer silicon). In such embodiments, the middle oxide layer may be completely or partially omitted (e.g., leaving a hydrogen-permeable channel in the form of a void between the lid-layer and device-layer silicon through which conductive bonding structures extend). Also, in all such embodiments, the lid-layer silicon wafer may have electrical circuitry (e.g., complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry) formed thereon prior to or after bonding to the MEMS device-layer silicon, and may be oriented in a flip-chip (circuit-side of lid wafer facing MEMS device-layer silicon) or upright (circuit-side of lid wafer facing away from MEMS device-layer silicon) configuration.

In all embodiments disclosed herein, device-layer silicon may be doped to yield conductive structures (e.g., electrodes, electrical continuity paths, etc.) and/or to effect mechanical resonance characteristics of MEMS resonator elements. In the FIG. 1-9 embodiments, for example, a MEMS resonator element or selected regions thereof may be degenerately doped (e.g., dopant concentration greater than 1E18/cm³, and in some cases above 1E19/cm⁻³, or 1E20/cm⁻³) with n-type or p-type dopant of any practicable type (e.g., phosphorous, boron, antimony, etc.) to yield a desired temperature-coefficient of frequency (TCF)—particularly a substantially zero-sloped TCF (e.g., less than 50, 5, 1 or 0.5 parts per million) over a desired operating temperature range (e.g., a range of 100 degrees Celsius or more centered around room temperature).

At least the following embodiments are within the scope of the foregoing disclosure:

-   -   An apparatus for a hydrogen resistant sealed cavity on a silicon         wafer comprising         -   An enclosed cavity, at least part of the enclosure             containing a hydrogen permeable material;         -   A hydrogen blocking layer deposited onto the cavity             enclosure     -   An method for fabricating a device with a hydrogen resistant         sealed cavity on a silicon wafer, the method comprising         -   Forming an enclosed cavity, at least part of the enclosure             containing a hydrogen permeable material;         -   Outgassing the hydrogen inside the enclosure and surrounding             material (outgassing may including subjecting the enclosed             cavity to an elevated temperature)         -   Depositing a hydrogen blocking layer onto the cavity             enclosure     -   An apparatus for a hydrogen resistant sealed cavity on a silicon         wafer comprising         -   A enclosed cavity, at least part of the enclosure containing             a hydrogen permeable material;         -   A first hydrogen blocking layer disposed on the cavity             enclosure;         -   Openings formed in the first hydrogen blocking layer so as             to expose the hydrogen permeable material;         -   A second hydrogen blocking layer deposited over the openings             cut in the first hydrogen blocking layer, the second             hydrogen blocking layer at least partially overlapping the             first hydrogen blocking layer.     -   An method for fabricating a device with a hydrogen resistant         sealed cavity on a silicon wafer, the method comprising         -   Forming an enclosed cavity sealed at least partially with a             hydrogen permeable material.         -   Depositing a first hydrogen blocking layer onto the cavity             enclosure         -   Creating openings in the first hydrogen blocking layer so as             to expose the hydrogen permeable material         -   Outgassing the hydrogen trapped in the cavity and             surrounding material by subjecting the device to an elevated             temperature in a neutral environment         -   Depositing and patterning a second hydrogen blocking layer             over the openings in the first hydrogen blocking layer, such             that the second hydrogen blocking layer at least partially             overlaps the first hydrogen blocking layer

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings, specific terminology and drawing symbols have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In some instances, the terminology and symbols may imply specific details that are not required to practice those embodiments. For example, any of the specific materials, dimensions (thicknesses), concentrations, operational order (e.g., order of device fabrication steps), temperatures and the like can be different from those described above in alternative embodiments. The term “coupled” is used herein to express a direct connection as well as a connection through one or more intervening functional components or structures. The terms “exemplary” and “embodiment” are used to express an example, not a preference or requirement. Also, the terms “may” and “can” are used interchangeably to denote optional (permissible) subject matter. The absence of either term should not be construed as meaning that a given feature or technique is required.

Various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments presented herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, features or aspects of any of the embodiments can be applied in combination with any other of the embodiments or in place of counterpart features or aspects thereof. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device comprising: a cavity enclosed at least in part by hydrogen-permeable material; a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) element disposed in the cavity; and a hydrogen barrier that blocks propagation of hydrogen into the cavity via the hydrogen-permeable material; wherein the cavity is formed in a first layer of silicon and enclosed, at least in part, by a hydrogen-permeable oxide, and wherein the hydrogen barrier blocks propagation of hydrogen into the cavity via the hydrogen-permeable oxide; and wherein the first layer of silicon is disposed adjacent a silicon lid layer, the silicon lid layer having a first substantially planar surface that encloses a portion of the cavity and a second substantially planar surface having the hydrogen-permeable oxide disposed thereon in a first hydrogen-permeable oxide layer.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen barrier comprises silicon nitride.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen barrier comprises a hydrogen-impermeable material layer disposed over the first hydrogen-permeable oxide layer.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen barrier comprises a hydrogen-impermeable material layer disposed between the hydrogen permeable oxide layer and the second substantially planar surface of the silicon lid layer.
 5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein a hydrogen-permeable trench extends from the first hydrogen-permeable oxide layer through the silicon lid layer to a second hydrogen-permeable layer interposed between the silicon lid layer and the first layer of silicon, and wherein the hydrogen barrier comprises one or more hydrogen-impermeable materials that prevent hydrogen outside the semiconductor device from propagating through the first hydrogen-permeable oxide layer to the hydrogen-permeable trench.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 wherein the one or more hydrogen-impermeable materials comprise a metal feature electrically coupled to a conductive region separated from the silicon lid layer by the hydrogen-permeable trench.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 wherein the one or more hydrogen-impermeable materials comprise a dielectric material disposed over the first hydrogen-permeable oxide layer.
 8. A semiconductor device comprising: a cavity enclosed at least in part by hydrogen-permeable material; a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) element disposed in the cavity; and a hydrogen barrier that blocks propagation of hydrogen into the cavity via the hydrogen-permeable material; wherein the cavity is formed in a first silicon layer that is sandwiched between second and third silicon layers, the second and third silicon layers being separated from the first silicon layer by first and second hydrogen-permeable oxide layers and having respective substantially planar opposing surfaces that enclose the cavity, and wherein the hydrogen barrier forms a ring around the cavity within at least one of the first and second hydrogen-permeable oxide layers.
 9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 wherein the hydrogen barrier comprises silicon nitride.
 10. A semiconductor device comprising: a first silicon layer disposed between second and third silicon layers and having a MEMS cavity bounded at least in part by respective surfaces of the second and third silicon layers; a first hydrogen permeable channel disposed between the first and second silicon layers; and a first hydrogen barrier structure disposed in the first hydrogen-permeable channel around the MEMS cavity to block propagation of hydrogen into the MEMS cavity via the first hydrogen-permeable channel; a hydrogen-permeable dielectric layer disposed on a surface of the second silicon layer opposite the second-silicon-layer surface that bounds the MEMS cavity; and an electrical contact disposed in an opening of the hydrogen-permeable dielectric layer and extending for at least five (5) microns over a surface of the hydrogen-permeable dielectric layer.
 11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the first hydrogen barrier structure comprises at least one of single-crystal silicon, polysilicon or silicon nitride.
 12. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the first hydrogen-permeable channel comprises a hydrogen-permeable oxide layer disposed between the first and second silicon layers.
 13. The semiconductor device of claim 10 further comprising a second hydrogen-permeable channel disposed between the first and third silicon layers and wherein the first hydrogen barrier structure extends through the first silicon layer and into the second hydrogen-permeable channel to block propagation of hydrogen into the MEMS cavity via the second hydrogen-permeable channel.
 14. The semiconductor device of claim 10 further comprising a second hydrogen-permeable channel disposed between the first and third silicon layers and a second hydrogen barrier structure disposed in the second hydrogen-permeable channel around the MEMS cavity to block propagation of hydrogen into the MEMS cavity via the second hydrogen-permeable channel. 